Human Basilisk
by TheFatController
Summary: At the end of his second year Harry was bitten by a basilisk. Nothing Happened. At the end of his Fourth year Harry is hit by the Avada Kedavra curse again. And survives. Again. Canon until end of Fourth year.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, Harry probably wouldn't have ended up with a fan girl, he wouldn't have somehow killed Voldemort with an Expelliarmus and it wouldn't be nearly as successful.**

**4th Year- in the Graveyard**

Harry dived behind a gravestone narrowly missing the killing curse heading towards him frantically trying to think of a way out of the situation.

**"**Harry, Harry... you know it's usually polite to face the man who's about to kill you", taunted Voldemort, playing on Harry's pride and unwillingness to be considered a coward.

Ignoring the jibe Harry tried to focus on what he had in his favour... it wasn't much. He had his wand, but Voldemort was far more powerful and far more skilled. He had the cup as a means of escape, but it currently lay on the other side of Voldemort and he had no way of getting to it. He had the pride and arrogance of Voldemort and his tendency to underestimate his opponent, but in this case he was correct to assume he was better, Harry had no doubt that Voldemort could easily defeat him and that he had lived this long only by luck, not only in this battle but in his life. The only thing he had ever had over Voldemort was luck and he was sick of it, he needed to do something to make his own luck.

That was when it struck him. He did have one other advantage. Voldemort was near flawless and certainly unbeatable to Harry but he did make one significant flaw. He had given Harry a wand and had ordered his Death Eaters not to attack him. He had assumed that Harry would focus on the main threat rather than take out his Death Eaters. He had assumed Harry was incapable of trying to kill someone, that his tendency to try to save people was in some way linked to a desire for everyone to survive no matter what their flaws.

No longer. At the age of 11 he had passed from hero to celebrated murderer when he had killed his DADA professor. Everyone seemed to have ignored that slight detail in his life. After all how could the Boy-Who-Lived kill someone even in self defence. No, Harry knew that some deaths were justified and even necessary and given his own imminent end he figured he may as well start handing out free tickets to the next realm. He was going to bring as many Death Eaters as possible with him.

Staying where he was behind the gravestone in order to protect himself from Voldemort he aimed at the closest Corpse Cruncher, Lucius Malfoy was still shaking slightly from his clash with the cruciatus and couldn't have even defended himself if he wasn't. No-one had been expecting it and that is what made it successful. Unsure of how to cast an AK he simply decided to use other potentially lethal curses and hexes. All of which, incidentally, were completely legal.

**"**Will you hide all day Potter? This is all you have? Who would have thought the BWL to be a coward? Even your parents put up more of a fight before begging fo...", he paused at the shout of the first spell raising a Protego on instinct. Within seconds 5 of his Death Eaters had been taken out, 2 by diffindo and 3 by a single expulso, bits of intestines and brain matter splattering everywhere. As the sixth and seventh were taken out by a well positioned banishing charm on the stone angel leaving them crushed, he shot a bombardo and the gravestone forcing Harry to the ground leaving him exposed to fire. He twisted round just in time to see the green flash hit his chest.

* * *

"Why good evening , so good for you to join us", said the stranger before Harry. He was a tall man, about 6'3", dressed in an Italian suit with what seemed to be a luck charm around his neck in the shape of a scythe.

**"**Not to sound rude or anything but who are you and where am I?", asked Harry confused, "I could have sworn I was just AK-ed."

**"**Well isn't that interesting?", he chuckled, "You asked who I am... the Egyptians used to call me Anubis or Osiris, the Greeks called me Hades or Thanatos, the Romans called me Pluto or Mors, I am the grim reaper, I am the final conqueror and I am the end to all things. Call me Death."

**"**Rather an impressive resume. As you already know I am Harry Potter. The wizards and witches call me the Boy-Who-Lived and the boy who vanquished the Dark Lord, I am the protector of the Philosopher's Stone, slayer of the basilisk, bane of dementors and champion of the Triwizard tournament. Call me Harry.", He replied slightly mockingly.

**"**Rather impressive yourself, although I already knew these things I wasn't sure you'd mention them.", Death replied amused but in good humour.

**"**Well now you just sound like you've been stalking me. I'm not usually one for arrogance but, not to sound childish, you started it."

**"**I suppose I did rather didn't I? About the stalking though... you've never once in all your adventures think that Death was stalking you?"

**"**Call me an optimist... so I guess this means I'm a goner? At least I took a couple of them with me", Harry said more resigned than dejected.

**"**A couple?", laughed Death, "try seven and I'm fairly sure more would have joined them had you abandoned your position behind the gravestone. I mean honestly Harry it was a good idea when he was playing with you but you should have run for new cover after taking out the first three. At least behind a tree you could have stood up. Fighting sat down is never easy... As for you being dead, yes and no. Yes you died, no you're not dead."

**"**Ooookay, care to explain?"

**"**Gladly, you were hit by the AK as you had originally thought. Now what you didn't know is that you are somewhat resistant to death (lower case 'd' death, like anyone could resist someone as ruggedly handsome as myself) and it didn't really take."

**"**Would you be so kind as to explain why I'm resistant to death?"

**"**I would love to...unfortunately that's not my area, nor is it my place to tell and I'm sure you'll find out eventually anyway. What I can tell you is that an AK won't off you (although when you wake up you realise it's probably not best to get hit deliberately) nor will the vast majority of other methods, though they might be rather uncomfortable. Old age will kill you eventually and I'm sure there are other ways to kill you so try not to get eviscerated or some such nonsense and for the most part you'll be fine. In addition to this I personally hereby grant you the power of being damn near as charming as I am. You should note that such a power is not free and you will also need to act rather more self confident. Of course I also feel inclined to remind you that this power is only theoretical, does not actually exist but will nevertheless be useful if you pursue it. For one thing you might actually get a girl."

**"**Nice of you to rub it in... any chance I can talk to my parents while I'm here?"

**"**Sorry dude this is just a precipice world and I'd need to set up an appointment to iron out the details."

**"**Should I tell anyone about dying?"

**"**Tell anyone you want, there're very few people who'd believe you. Anyways I gotta go get ready for an important appointment."

**"**Who's the appointment with?"

**"**Don't worry about that. Besides you'll be leaving in about 5 seconds, bring us some cake next time yeah?"

**"**Huh... what do you mea..."

* * *

The boy-who-lived had fallen and though he had taken seven of his disciples, Voldemort felt like he had achieved something. He had finally defeated the quite frankly average boy who apparently had the power to defeat him. Since he was the only one with said power, Voldemort pondered, had his defeat rendered the Dark Lord even more immortal? Can there even be differing levels of immortality?

As he watched silently gloating he noticed something odd. On the boy's right forearm a hole began to open burning through his sleeves and showing an open wound which had most certainly not been there previously with what appeared to be a black liquid. His veins then also began to turn black wherever visible starting near his arm until even prominent vessels on his neck and face were coloured. Then as suddenly as it had begun the blackness faded and the hole began to close. When it had almost entirely sealed some of the same black liquid as before seemed to seep out and coil itself into the shape of a snake before creeping up his arm to his bicep, curling around his arm and setting with a slight smell of burning flesh. Upon closer inspection, had Riddle decided to inspect more closely, he would have noticed that the snake in question resembled a basilisk.

**"**Aaaargh my head. I see what he meant that is not fun!", said a newly awoken Harry, much to Voldemort's shock.

**"**Don't you know when to stay dead Potter? Do I really have to kill you again?"

**"**I could ask you the same thing Tom, but I would ask that you lower your voice slightly before killing me. I feel like I drank three barrels of firewhisky, went to Africa, took part in a wildebeest stampede, took a plane back and jumped out half way without a parachute bouncing on my skull the rest of the way. Frankly death would be welcome, lower case 'd' death that is, I'm not sure I could deal with the grinning reaper while I still have this headache."

**"**Clearly the AK has caused severe brain damage. No matter, it shan't happen a second time... you surviving that is, Avada Kedavra!"Immediately Harry roll out of the way, did a neck spring to his feet and turned firing a reductor curse at Riddle just as he sent a second AK, somehow meeting in the middle they caused a golden chain to form between the two wands.

As he forced beads of light into the end of Voldie's wand, Harry was shocked to find what he could only call a procession of the dead, literally led by Death.

**"**Hey Harry, short time no see! Brought a few people with me that I thought you might want to see.", said Death gesturing to the people behind him who continued to burst from the wand and materialise into the forms of Cedric Diggory and His parents. "I was supposed to bring an old man along aswell since that's usually how the spell works but I figured he'd just be in the way."

**"**Hey Death, what's up. Thanks for doing this, I thought you said you'd need an appointment?"

**"**You made one Harry, this here's called Priori Incantatem. Don't worry, Mouldy-warts can't hear us. He can't even see me, although he can see the others. Anyway Priori Incantatem is essentially the joining of two brother wands which results in one of said wands regurgitating past spells, in this case the people he's killed can come back all ghostly. But enough of that, let's introduce you to your parents. Harry this is Lily and James Potter, Guys as you're aware this is your son Harry", Death took a few steps back to give them some time together.

**"**Mum? Dad?"

**"**Yeah kid it's us", said James. "How have you been keeping?"

**"**Honestly Dad I'm not sure being hit with an AK twice in one lifetime can really be counted as keeping, not to mention having gone straight from an abusive household where everyone wanted me dead to a world in which people seem more than willing to act upon similar desires. I've faced Voldemort three times already and that's not including when I was one year old, I've killed a basilisk, fought off about 200 dementors at once, faced a dragon with nothing more than a broom, some skill and a whole lot of luck, I've been forced by circumstances to take the role as hero that I never particularly wanted, I mean seriously even in primary school plays I always wanted to be a tree or a sheep or something similarly useless and quite frankly I just want to sleep for the next four years. And to top it all off I have what feels to be the worst hangover in existence, without the fun of being drunk beforehand."

**"**And after all that he can't even get laid", interjected Death, smirking as Harry glared at him.

**"**Sooo, I guess 'kid' was probably less accurate than any of us would have liked?"

**"**Well it's better than calling me fawn I suppose, pup I can handle, if you'd started calling me Bambi I think it'd probably push me over the edge.", Harry said somehow managing to chuckle, not even particularly focused on his current battle.

A glint appeared in James' eyes. "No dear, you're not to antagonise him.", said Lily before frowning slightly as Harry began to laugh.

**"**Haha, deer.",chuckled Harry, earning him a mock glare from James and a slight chuckle from his mother.**"**Harry, honey, shouldn't you be focusing on Voldemort?"

**"**Crap, you're right", he said noticing the beads were almost to his wand before pushing them away with a burst of his will.

**"**OK guys sorry to break this up but we really should be going now", said Death, "Bambi, I forgot to tell you, in addition to the whole not dying thing you've probably already noticed an increase in your reaction time and magical capacity. In time your physical strength will increase as well. One other thing, you might want to stay in the sun as much as possible, sleep by the fire and that sort of thing."

**"**I have little to no idea what you're talking about but don't call me Bambi!"

**"**Yeah, yeah, remember bring me some cake."

**"**That's another thing, shouldn't you hate me for eluding you or some such nonsense?"

**"**I can if you'd like, frankly I'm not that bothered since you'll bring me quite a few others, besides it's hardly your fault so for now you can consider us friends. Especially if you bring me cake and Riddle. Capital 'R' Riddle, although I do rather like lower case 'r' riddles as well", he said grinning.

**"**Sure thing, Death. You know I'm actually starting to like you, or at least tolerate you."

**"**Well, Harry, I'd say if anyone has a tolerance for death it's you. We really have to go now, you know that portkey does work both ways, you might want to consider leaving."

**"**Harry", said Cedric, who Harry could honestly say he'd forgotten was there, "can you take my body back with you? I want my parents to know I died well."

**"**Sure thing man, I'm sorry you died, I'm the one who convinced you to come."

**"**Yeah and if I hadn't been such a noble git as well, you'd have never come either, the rat couldn't have taken your blood and Voldemort wouldn't have come back, or if he did he'd be much weaker. If you want to blame yourself for my death then go ahead. But remember that if you do blame yourself, you are at the same time blaming me for the deaths of however many die because this night happened. It's not your fault Harry, how can it be wrong to do the right thing?"

**"**...you know you'd have made one hell of a lawyer...well, except for the whole 'people actually like you' thing."

**"**Harry we have to go now but remember we love you and if you don't complete the animagus transformation by the end of next year then we're disappointed in you", said James immediately being hit by his wife.

**"**He's right about us loving you Harry, he's just being a bit of a dick about the transformation. Besides he took 3 years and finished in fifth", said Lily.

**"**Yeah but he found out about them in third year so he technically has two years. Tell you what I'll give him a hint. Harry go to the restricted section in Hogwarts and read chapters 3 to 5 in 'The Intricacies of the Human and the Beast' by Falco Aesalon. Also, get a girlfriend while you're at it, you're ruining my reputation, that Hermione girl sounds nice."

**"**Yeah,yeah... you know I'm fairly sure she likes Ron, they've got that whole arguing thing going on and she seemed pretty upset he didn't ask her to the ball."

**"**Consolation prize, Harry, consolation prize, she knew you liked Cho (by the way, please tell me you aren't going to pursue that) and she probably figures she's not pretty enough or some such nonsense. What is it with girls who think intelligence means they aren't as attractive?"

**"**Wow Dad, you clearly put a lot of thought into that. Well... I say thought... more like ramble really. And no I'm not going to pursue Cho. I mean seriously Dad, I got her boyfriend killed. I'm fairly sure that leaves 'us' as a no go zone."

**"**Harry", interjected Cedric, "what did I just say about the whole killing me thing?"

**"**Yeah yeah, I know, doomed all of mankind to the terror of Tom. I get it."

**"**Anywho, as I've been saying we need to go", said Death wrapping things up, "Harry we can give you about ten seconds, break the connection, get to Cedric's body and summon the cup. Oh, and research the Peverells and the tale of three brothers. Keep safe and keep my cloak safe. Now go!"

As Harry summoned the cup he turned to see Death give him a wink and a salute before he felt the disturbing sensation of the portkey.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Is it really necessary to do disclaimers every chapter? Or is it simply to raise the word count and get more people interested? I don't own Harry Potter. Please remember this fact if I forget or neglect to mention it in subsequent chapters. Thank you. See, disclaimer and a raised word count, win for me.**

"He's back, Voldemort's back", said Harry as he collapsed in the middle of the Quidditch pitch still holding Cedric's body.

"It's going to be OK Harry", said Dumbledore looking into Harry's eyes and gaining a twinkle in his own.

Harry meeting the headmasters eyes felt what seemed to be a weird tickling sensation in his mind. Trying to clear the sensation he pushed against it before hearing thoughts that he was sure weren't his own flood his mind.

_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..._

Oookay, thought Harry, weird much?

* * *

"If there's something I hate more than any other, it's a Death Eater who walked free. They turned their backs on my master when he needed them most. I expected him to punish them. I expected him to torture them. Tell me he hurt them, Harry... Tell me he told them that I, I alone remained faithful... Prepared to risk everything to deliver to him the one thing he wanted above all... You.", said Mad-eye.

**"**Diffindo", Harry muttered having managed to mutter having aimed his wand at the death eater's legs out of his line of sight. As he collapsed to the floor, missing yet another limb Dumbledore burst through the doors to find Harry standing over him, wand raised.

**"**Harry step back.", said Dumbledore calmly but authoritatively.

**"**And why should I do that Dumbledore? Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't just kill him now. I have his confession, he's a death eater. He deserves to die.", said Harry angrily.

**"**Harry murder is not quite so simple as the innocent would like to believe"

**"**Know that first hand do you Dumbledore? You're a fool. You couldn't even kill Grindelwald when he was the world's greatest threat. And they call you the leader of the light. In a war where only one side is willing to kill, only one side will die. It's common sense. For us to live they have to die."

**"**There are other ways Harry. We send them to prison, let the dementors handle them."

**"**You know as well as I do the dementors will follow Voldemort."

**"**Come now Harry, you don't think you're going to kill him any more than I do. Were you to kill him you would have done it already. I do not believe you capable of such evil."

**"**Evil, Dumbledore? You have said yourself there are fates worse than death. In fact I would say a lifetime in Azkaban would fulfil that very quality. Tell me, if I wish to kill him and you wish to subject him to a fate worse than death then which of us is more evil? One could go so far as to call it a mercy killing. As for my capacity to kill... Diffindo. I've been capable of killing since you forced me to at the age of 11. Never forget Dumbledore you made me a murderer. It's only by my own willpower I haven't become evil."

**"**Merlin he killed him...!", said Mcgonagall having just arrived.

**"**I'm sorry you had to see that Minerva. If you'll both excuse me I have something I wish to discuss with Miss Skeeter."

* * *

_**He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Returns - Fudge in Denial?**_**  
**_Despite both Pensieve memories and testimony under veritaserum by The-Boy-Who-Lived himself Mr Harry Potter, Minister Fudge seems to have denied the claims entirely dismissing it as lunacy driven by a pitiful boy's desire for attention. This reporter doubts Mr Potter could ever be described as a pitiful boy and anyone who has ever met the child will understand that he has no desire for attention or even inclination to be famous having the burden thrust upon him. As such he even denied interview claiming that he didn't want the extra publicity... For more information on Minister Fudge read pg 5, For information on the first war against You-Know-Who read page 7._

**"**Harry you never mentioned showing Fudge any memories.", said Hermione confused.

**"**Yes, that would be because I didn't show Fudge the memories."

**"**What do you mean. How did the Prophet hear about them then?"

**"**Simple. I showed Rita the memories."

**"**Harry mate you trusted Rita Skeeter?", asked Ron even more confused than Hermione. "You realise she's not exactly trustworthy."

**"**On the contrary Ron I can trust her to act in an extremely predictable way. She did what she always does and went with what's best for her and with what she thinks will be most interesting to the public.", replied Harry evenly.

**"**Huh..."

**"**Very eloquent Ron.", smirked Harry.

**"**What he means Ron in that everything has happened the way he expected it to. What I can't see is why he's happy, Fudge is still in denial and at the end of the day it's the ministry which controls the country."

**"**Not quite Hermione. It's the country which controls the ministry. I'm smug because I just single handedly removed Fudge from office whilst ensuring that someone more suitable for wartime strategy, most likely Madame Bones, replaces him. Admittedly not immediately but within a year. Besides everyone is now aware of Voldy's return, which is more than could be said if I'd left well alone. I know how Fudge operates and he's terrified of losing public favour. He would have denied outright that the Dork Lord had returned and done exactly what I have done to him and informed the Prophet of my delusions. No-one controls public opinion as well as the Prophet. In fact as you can see by the report that's exactly what he tried to do. Fortunately I got to them first and tipped the balance slightly in my favour.", Harry replied.

**"**Harry you didn't..."

**"**Didn't what?", asked Ron oblivious.

**"**Ron, everyone knows how little the Prophet cares about evidence. In fact the only reason I offered evidence was to further the defamation of our dear minister."

**"**Still not following you Harry."

**"**Ron he bribed them. He bribed the Daily Prophet."

**"**What!"

**"**Guys, I'm not the first and I won't be the last. The public had to know and I had the means to ensure they did. To allow the alternative would be a much worse offence. Anyway now that Malfoy senior's dead there's no-one to keep Fudge in power. The next election is in one year and that's if no-one submits a vote of no confidence. Fudge now has two options. He could agree with me making him seem weak and indecisive, losing him his office. Or he could continue to vehemently disagree with me losing public support since everyone knows I'm right, again leading to him losing his office. Now we just sit back and see what happens."

**"**Very Slytherin of you, Potter", said Malfoy, having just arrived to hear the end of his explanation, bitter after hearing about the death of his father.

**"**Thanks Malfoy it was rather wasn't it?", said Harry, not rising to the bait, "I suppose the hat did want to put me in Slytherin so I have to show that side of myself once in a while."

Draco simply sneered before walking away, goons in toe as usual, confused looks on their faces as they tried to figure out what just happened.

**"**Fine, I'll accept you had a good reason for what you did, even if I don't like it... How did you survive the killing curse?", asked Hermione, bringing the conversation to what it was as if the Slytherins had never come.

**"**Thanks Hermione, your willingness to accept a logical argument is just one of the many things I love about you", said Harry, bringing a slight blush to her face, "about the curse... let's just say I owe Death a slice of cake."

**"**What?"**"**Heheh... don't worry about it."

* * *

**Summer Holidays, Little Whinging, Public Park**

**"**Wow... not only do they give me no information they even have old professors following me.", Harry thought out loud.

**"**Hey, Moony, you gonna come say hi or where you planning on stalking me all night?", Harry shouted towards the outskirts of the park.

After a few seconds of staring at the same place, Remus' head finally showed itself hovering in the air about 10m away. "Alright how did you know I was there?", he asked honestly intrigued. "I was wearing an invisibilty cloak."

**"**Problem with invisibility cloaks, Remus, is that they make you invisible. Since you can't be seen you get cocky, since you get cocky you make mistakes, since you make mistakes I can clearly hear you walking around. Especially since I'm not moving and there's no-one else around. There aren't that many muggles with invisibility cloaks you know." Harry said, hoping that it wouldn't be noticed that he called Remus by name. For some reason his senses had been increasing recently especially his sense of smell. Strangest though and in this case most useful was he had a slight ability for thermal vision. For the most part he simply wrote this off as a death thing though he was confused about the tattoo on his arm and had already decided to research basilisks once he got back to Hogwarts.

Fortunately, Remus hadn't noticed but rather decided to come and sit on the swing next to Harry's.

**"**Sorry about the lack of news, cub, we've been told by Dumbledore not to say anything until we get you to HQ. I'm not even supposed to be talking to you now, it was supposed to be a straight and simple guarding mission. Though I suppose that can't be helped..." Remus said fading off as he noticed the sudden drop in temperature. Harry of course was already on his feet with his wand pointed in the direction the chill appeared to be coming from.

**"**I guess it's started", said Harry as four dementors came into view gliding towards them. Immediately he shot off a patronus not even waiting for Remus to do anything.

**"**You know Harry", said the werewolf, who now had his wand pointed at the area the dementors were, rather uselessly given that they had already begun to glide away, "you should have really left that to me, you could get into serious trouble since you're still underage."

**"**True, but as much as Fudge might want to get rid of me, that was in self defence. Since there are no muggles around it isn't a particularly serious offence and besides, the presence of an adult wizard can sometimes screw up the trace."

**"**Even so Harry...", began Remus before an owl swooped down towards them.

**"**Well that's certainly interesting", said Harry, "the minister seems to be under the impression that he has the power to expel me... I imagine this is the point where Dumbledore tells him his place and you take me to this HQ you mentioned."

Remus simply sighed.

* * *

"Harry, what on Earth were you thinking?", asked Hermione as Harry stepped through the door, "you could have been expelled!"

**"**I was thinking, hmmm... there are dementors here, what should I do about them. Luckily the answer came to me quickly."

**"**Harry, by that time Professor Lupin was already there, you know he's capable of a Patronus, he's the one who taught you", she responded.

**"'**Mione you realise he's not a professor anymore? I'm sure he'd be comfortable with you calling him Remus or Moony.", said Harry, calmly ignoring her implied question.

**"**Harry, I'm not going to let you get out of telling me that easily! Why did you do it?", Hermione persisted.

**"**Very well, if you must know, I did it because Fudge is angry with the situation I've put him in politically, I've made sure everyone not only knows Voldy's back, but also sees him as a fool who can't accept the truth. I fully expected the letter he sent about a hearing and I'm going to use it to further discredit him. He's putting the Boy-Who-Lived on trial for defending himself against a creature he supposedly employs, and after being warned they would leave him as well. The public will see Fudge as petty for putting me on trial, not to mention he's either a fool for not realising the dementors would leave after some sound advice from both the well respected Dumbledore and yours truly, or he specifically ordered them to attack me in hopes of expelling me when I repelled them. After all if they were not in Tom's control then they must have been in his own. No-one could survive in office if they sent dementors after an innocent child, especially if said child were me."

**"**You're still actively trying to get him removed from office?"

**"**I wouldn't say actively, but an opportunity fell into my lap and I took it, besides you can't exactly say he's doing a good job, and if he had any sense he would have left well alone, he simply let his anger get the better of him... look 'Mione, I know some of the stuff I've been doing lately is a bit morally grey, but you have to understand, I'm trying to win a war here, can we at least agree to disagree?"

**"**Why does it have to be you fighting this war, let Dumbledore and the Order..."

**"'**Mione I don't know about the Order but Dumbledore is unwilling to do what has to be done, tell me... if he had fought at his best during the last war, why did he never duel Tom, why act as the politician when you have the strength to kill the Dark Lord... when apparently you're the one most suited to it... 'Mione, you've said it before, Dumbledore was the only one Voldemort ever feared, why did he sit in Hogwarts and tell others to fight. I've done some research, do you have any idea of the amount of times Dumbledore actually fought in a battle rather than simply commanding troops. Call me old fashioned but I've always thought the hero was supposed to do his own dirty work, hell I'm not even a hero and I've done enough of it for a good few lifetimes."

**"**Harry, I think you're selling yourself a little short."

**"**Not at all", Harry said with a smile, "I'm more of an anti-hero. After all, the knight in shining armor is the knight that hasn't seen battle. Much better to put your faith in the knight in blood-coated armor. At least that way you know he's doing something."

**"**Harry, you can't just write off Dumbledore like that. He has experience with defeating Dark Lords, he beat Grindelwald after all."

**"'**Mione, Dumbledore's strong. He's incredibly strong. Stronger than you or I can imagine... well not exactly, but stronger than we could hope to be in the near future. The problem is, he's too afraid of the past to do well in the present. He keeps thinking of his enemies as being misunderstood, or being worthy of forgiveness simply because he remembers days when they were more innocent. For him, Tom Riddle is his biggest failure. He never trusted Tom, Riddle told me himself. Dumbledore could have finished the first Voldie-war before it began and he knows it. All the signs were there and he couldn't bring himself to kill his student. Today he still feels guilty but won't duel Riddle because he doesn't want that guilt to be exposed."

**"**Harry, I think you're reading a little far into it."

**"**Perhaps, but ask yourself this. How many times have Voldemort's plans succeeded or almost succeeded because Dumbledore has done nothing? In our first year when he was mysteriously gone? Somehow he still managed to turn up again right when Tom left, didn't he? Or perhaps second year. No idea where the chamber is Dumbledore? Have you tried asking your phoenix or the sorting hat? They seemed to find me well enough. No way in hell you can tell me Dumbles is unaware of any secret passageways Sirius could have used to get in. What would have happened if he had actually been evil? Oh yeah, pretty much the same as what actually happened with Pettigrew, except faster since Sirius isn't an idiot. And how dense must our humble overlord be not to notice one of his supposed friends was one of Voldie's toys? You'll forgive me if I reserve judgement on his Order of Fried Chicken and I certainly don't plan on being a side dish."

Hermione sighed realising there was no way he'd listen to any rebuttal.


End file.
